1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing system, a management apparatus, an image processing apparatus, a management method, a computer program, and a storage medium, the system including the management apparatus and a plurality of image processing apparatuses, which are connected to each other via a network.
2. Related Art
In printers and other known image processing apparatuses a reduction in image quality levels occurs when jobs are executed continuously under fixed control conditions. Variations in internal temperature and wear and tear on the photosensitive drum and other structural elements, for example, result in the image density and image positioning relating to executed jobs failing to meet target control values, and the quality level of processed images (hereafter “image quality level”) suffers as a result. In order to counter this deterioration in the image quality level, image quality stabilization processing is conducted in known image processing apparatuses to fine tune the control conditions in accordance with the existing environment of the apparatus.
In the image quality stabilization processing, control variables that affect image quality in the image processing apparatus are determined. If the image processing apparatus is a printer or similar image forming apparatus, tests are conducted to detect the density of a plurality of toner patterns of differing densities formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum as part of the test process, and the optimal adjustment values for control variables such as the developing bias voltage of the developing unit and the grid voltage of the charging unit are determined based on the test results. Other control variables affecting image quality include heater output and the oil supply levels of the heat fixing unit.
If the image processing apparatus is a scanner or similar image reading apparatus, on the other hand, control variables include the exposure voltage applied to the exposure lamp.
Execution of the image quality stabilization processing in an image processing apparatus naturally requires a certain amount of power usage. In the case of a printer, for instance, a surprisingly high amount of power is needed to rotate the photosensitive drum and to drive the charging unit in order to form the toner pattern on the surface of the photosensitive drum.
Moreover, the recent increase in the number of business offices operating a plurality of image forming apparatuses connected via a local area network (LAN), means that major power consumption is required to execute the image quality stabilization processing in all of these apparatuses.
A result of the enhanced focus in recent years on the depletion of energy resources has been a comprehensive move across a broad spectrum of fields to achieve reductions in power consumption. Thus the increased power usage of businesses operating a large number of image forming apparatuses is of major concern.
Of course, this problem relates not only printers and other image forming apparatuses as but also to image reading apparatuses such as scanners or any other image processing apparatus that executes image quality stabilization processing.